According to statistics, Chinese TV dramas have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions, accounting for more than 70% of all exported television programmes.
Cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties between China and other countries are deepening as Chinese TV dramas go global.
Why Chinese TV series are becoming popular increasingly?
Chinese TV series are becoming increasingly popular in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In Thailand, over 100 Chinese TV dramas were broadcast on television in 2019, with the number expected to rise as online video platforms become more popular. In neighbouring Cambodia, a costume drama called Romance of the Three Kingdoms has become a household name. Ode to Joy, a contemporary romantic TV drama, has sparked ongoing debates among Singapore viewers, and Feather Flies to the Sky, another TV drama set in contemporary China, even had a premiere ceremony before airing in the Philippines.
Dubbing and subtitles in local languages hasten the globalisation of Chinese TV series by removing language barriers and making it easier for local audiences to enjoy them.
Chinese series starring Chinese pop idols and subtitled in local languages are broadcast on online platforms in the Middle East, winning the hearts of young viewers. Many Iraqis even congregate in cafes to watch and discuss Chinese episodes.
Good dubbing is the cherry on top, attracting more viewers and allowing them to better understand Chinese culture.
Furthermore, the Vibration studio in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, has recently completed the translation and dubbing of over ten ซีรี่ย์จีน พากย์ไทย, which will be broadcast on several Arab television stations.
According to experts, the export of Chinese television series reflects China’s rapid economic growth and growing cultural influence. You can see how far China has come in 40 years of reform and opening up. Through these TV dramas, you can see that China isn’t just about Taichi, Kungfu, and pandas, but also about rapid development and a modern, convenient way of life,” said a University of Tunis student.
More domestic series have been exported as the Chinese economy has grown over the last ten years. As foreign audiences became more interested in the country’s changing landscape, stories about modern China and Chinese lifestyles began to dominate ratings.
When it first aired in Vietnam, Happy Memories of the Ma’s, a 47-episode TV series chronicling the life of a Shanghai family between the 1970s and the early 2000s, became the first Chinese series shown by the country’s leading broadcasters and beat out other local shows to top the country’s ratings.
When fantasy or historical dramas based on popular online novels become popular in China, they also become popular in other countries.
Last words
The fantasy drama The Journey of Flower made a big impact in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam post topping China’s TV screen ratings and being watched 2 billion times online.
Princess Agents, about a sixth-century female slave’s rise to become a powerful military leader, has also become an internet sensation. With nearly 3 billion views on YouTube, it became the most-watched Chinese TV drama in the world.